MewtwoB: Zero
by MDude
Summary: A boy goes to a pokemon fair, to find that the world of pokemon isn't so happy. Mewtwo not involved yet. (
1. Chapter 0.1: Dreams, Amusement and Horro...

Chapter 0.1  
  
Warning: don't expect for Mewtwo to be introduced to the plot early.  
  
"Matt, many challenges lie ahead of you. Remember, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel." That is what my dad told me when I blew out the candles at my 10th birthday party. When I heard that statement for the first time, I didn't think much of it. Little did I know how right Dad was when he said that.  
  
----  
  
Excitement surged through every part of my body. My 10th birthday had come and I could now begin to be a pokemon trainer. My heart was set on a bulbasaur. I had decided that it would be the best choice to choose a bulbasaur, since it would be easier to get the Boulder and Cascade Badge. I smiled uncontrollably while looking at my trainer's license. I was being driven in the limo from Cerulean City, my hometown, to Pallet Town. My older brother, David, was with me to keep an eye on me. My other older brother, Alex, didn't want to go with me, since he had something against pokemon trainers. Mom and Dad had something that they needed to take care of at work.  
  
Mom and Dad were the owners of a big company, Thomas Tech. The company made TVs, VCRs, radios, computers and other electronics. Dad wanted David, Alex, Gerald, and I to continue running the company when we became old enough. While Gerald was willing to do it, David and I had decided that we wanted to do something different. Alex hadn't decided yet. Gerald, my younger brother and the youngest brother, was staying home, watching TV. He didn't want to miss today's episode of the Brittany Jackson Show. He loved the way that the guests were secretly entered into the show by somebody else, were surprised when they found out that they were guests (or victims), and were publicly crucified on TV by the audience. He also liked the constant fighting. I personally despised the way that the show allowed people to unknowingly become the targets of a bunch of people who had nothing better to do than to make remarks and jokes at the victims'/guests' expense.  
  
I looked at myself in the window. A white skinned boy with brown hair and blue eyes stared back at me. I wore a white t-shirt with a green check on it. The same green check that is on the pokemon league caps. My jeans were black while my gym shoes were white.  
  
David gave me a warm smile and asked, "Are you excited?"  
  
I responded with anticipation and joy. "Yes, very."  
  
David chuckled and said sarcastically, "Well, I guess that I'm going to have to watch out! I'm going to have a pokemon master in the family!"  
  
I responded, "Yea, I will be a pokemon master! I will be the best!" "That is, if you don't get bored with it in a few years," David said, regaining seriousness. I said with confidence, "You watch me! I will own the strongest pokemon ever! Then, nobody will beat me!"  
  
Owning the strongest pokemon. The dream of every pokemon trainer. The dream of being unbeatable. I had repeatedly said that I would accomplish making this dream a reality in the last month I had before I became ten. I had to stop saying it so much when family and friends became sick of hearing it everyday.  
  
"Heh, you can be a pokemon master on the weekends. Mom and Dad still want you to go to school. I'm going to have to watch you on the weekends too," David said, letting out a soft sigh afterwards.  
  
I retorted, "That's what you get for being the oldest brother."  
  
The steady buzz of the limo's engine slowed to a stop.  
  
"We're here, sir," the driver said through the communication speaker. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face as I left the limo. I looked over the horizon, at the rest of Pallet Town. It was definitely a quieter place than Cerulean. Smoke emerged from various houses as people walked through the streets, waving to each other. Small flocks of pidgeys flew overhead, their cries of, "Pidgey!" giving sound to an otherwise completely quiet scene. I couldn't help but be amazed at the tranquil beauty of the sight. I pulled my eyes away from the view, and walked into the lab of Professor Oak.  
  
----  
  
Professor Oak greeted us with a smile. "Hello boys. I'm sorry Matt, but somebody has already taken the bulbasaur."  
  
Oh great! I spent so much time deciding on a pokemon, only for that pokemon to be taken before I could get it! I clenched my fists and yelled, "darn it!" After looking at the floor in silence for a few seconds, I looked up at Professor Oak and asked, "Well, what else is there?"  
  
Oak responded, "Well, there is a charmander and squirtle here." He walked over to a table and grabbed two pokeballs. He walked back to us and opened the balls. A charmander and squirtle appeared from the balls.  
  
"They both look so cute!" I said.  
  
Another 10-year-old kid walked into the room. His eyes, hair, shirt and shoes were all red. His black pants and white skin were the only things that weren't red. He asked, "Hey, aren't you that rich kid, Matt Thomas?"  
  
I responded, my gaze concentrated on the kid. "Yes. I happen to be that rich kid."  
  
He smirked and asked, "Why don't I kick your pampered ass around with my new pokemon?" I hated it when people insulted me for my wealth. They knew that they would love to have as much money as I had. They were all hypocrites.  
  
The kid, still smirking, said, "Come on! Hurry up and pick a pokemon so I can beat you senseless!" Out of common pokemon sense, I chose Squirtle. It was common knowledge that fire pokemon were weak against water pokemon, although that wouldn't matter since the charmander only knew Growl and Scratch and Squirtle only knew Tail Whip and Tackle.  
  
"Professor Oak, I choose Squirtle," I said.  
  
"Fine, then I guess Charmander is mine," the kid said.  
  
----  
  
We stepped outside of Professor Oak's lab onto the front lawn of the lab, preparing to battle. A gentle breeze blew through, causing the grass and leaves of nearby trees to waft in the air. This was my first pokemon match. This was what I had been waiting for. Squirtle and I stared across the lawn at the kid and his charmander while the kid did the same.  
  
He smirked and asked, "Well, does the little, rich brat want to go first or not?" He was trying to trick me into saying that he should go first. I couldn't make such a stupid move in a match where we were equally matched, considering that both Squirtle and his charmander have not learned any type- specific moves.  
  
"Yes, this little, rich brat wants to go first. Squirtle, tackle!" Squirtle nodded and rammed into Charmander, knocking it to the ground.  
  
The kid yelled, "Come on Charmander! Don't let that brat's pokemon beat you!! Scratch!!" The charmander rose to its feet, reached back, and swooped its arm across Squirtle's face, leaving three scratch marks and knocking it back wailing, but not to the ground.  
  
"Are you okay Squirtle?" I asked with concern. Squirtle gave a nod, its gaze focused on the charmander. "Okay! Tail Whip!" Squirtle jumped in the air and twirled, smacking the charmander across the face with its tail. Tears began to emerge from Charmander's eyes.  
  
"Charmander! What are you doing!? Give it a growl attack!" the kid commanded. Charmander mustered the angriest face its cute face could possibly have, and growled at Squirtle. Squirtle didn't seem to be affected at all.  
  
"Good job Squirtle, you don't need to be afraid of that charmander! Tackle!" I yelled. Squirtle mustered as much strength as it had left and rammed into Charmander at full speed, knocking the crying, whimpering fire lizard down. "Maybe you should forfeit the match now?" I said to the kid with a smile on my face. I could feel my confidence and cockiness returning to me.  
  
A sneer appeared on the kid's face. "Never! Growl Charmander!" Charmander once again growled, and this time, it hit home. Squirtle cowered a little, thanks to Charmander's growl. It was too little, too late for the charmander though.  
  
"Tackle, Squirtle," I said calmly. I knew that the match was mine. Although Squirtle's attack was weakened, it was still enough to finish off the charmander. Charmander fell to the ground with a small thud, defeated.  
  
I yelled with joy. "YEEEEEESSSSSSS!! This rich prick just whipped you!" I dropped to my knees and hugged Squirtle. "Good job, Squirtle," I said. The kid looked at his fallen charmander, tears emerging from its closed eyes.  
  
The kid said to the charmander with narrowed eyes, "Stupid, weak pokemon."  
  
David walked over to me and said, "Good job. You won your first match. It was probably just luck."  
  
I responded, still happy over my victory, "Maybe that. Or maybe it is because I will be a pokemon master?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. With the strongest pokemon ever too," David replied sarcastically.  
  
----  
  
I rode home in the limo with my brother, just as I had come. I held Squirtle as high as the roof of the limo would let me, the both of us laughing with happiness. I couldn't think about anything else but the cute, little pokemon that gave me my first win. I looked out the window to see that we were driving past a lake, which gave me an idea.  
  
I grabbed a paper cup from the limo dispenser, and in my worst type of acting tone, I said, "Gee, I am so thirsty, I wish that I could get a drink of water." To my delight, Squirtle filled the cup with water that it shot from its mouth. "Great! It will only be a little while until you'll learn Water Gun!" I rubbed Squirtle's head while drinking the water.  
  
"You are really close to that squirtle," David said.  
  
"I know. It is my first pokemon, you know," I said back with a smile.  
  
----  
  
I felt the limo stop at the front gate of my house. As usual, the driver lowered his window to swipe the security card through the card slot that stood at the side of the road. Everybody in the family had a security card. Dad believed that it was the best way to keep out unwanted guests. Of course, if you didn't have a card, you would have to use the intercom that was on top of the card slot.  
  
With a soft beep, the gates opened, allowing for us to drive in. My home was a white mansion that was on the outskirts of Cerulean, where most of the rich people in the city lived. I guessed that the people here didn't want to bother with the hustle and bustle of the inner city. Mom, Alex, and Gerald were at the front door to greet me.  
  
When I stepped onto the front porch, Mom said, "Hello, Honey. Did you enjoy getting your first pokemon?" I always liked being around Mom. She always made me feel comfortable. She was always the light in a cloudy day.  
  
Gerald asked, "What pokemon did you get? The bulbasaur that you wanted?"  
  
Alex asked sharply, "Yes. What pokemon has become your slave?"  
  
Mom glared at Alex. "Alex! Don't ruin your brother's birthday! You know he wanted a pokemon for his birthday!" Alex responded, expression not changing at all although Mom was now a little angry. "Just so he could force it to battle with it's own kind for a stupid trophy and/or badge?"  
  
"Stop it you two!" Dad demanded, walking from the family room towards us. Dad was like the opposite of mom. He always wanted me to be tough, not weak. When I was around Dad, I felt that I needed to be at my best. I would leave my weakness and kindness for Mom. My strength and toughness was for Dad. Dad kneeled down and ruffled my hair. "So, where is your pokemon, son?"  
  
Glad that Dad had changed the subject, I removed the pokeball from my belt and dropped it while saying, "Go Squirtle."  
  
When Squirtle emerged from the ball, the whole family, except for Alex and I, crowded around it, petting it and cuddling it.  
  
Dad said in a sweet voice, the kind of voice you would hear someone use when they saw a baby or a puppy, "Aren't you cute? Yes you are."  
  
Alex retorted, "Hmph. It is just too bad that such cuteness will only be seen by rival trainers from now on."  
  
Dad ignored Alex's comment and asked, "Well Matt, let's celebrate the rest of your birthday by going to the pokemon fair that is in town!"  
  
"That would be great dad!" I responded, with a wide smile on my face.  
  
"Okay, it's almost nighttime. Lets go there now," Dad said, walking toward the car keys.  
  
I held up Squirtle and asked, "What do you say? Do you want to go to the fair?"  
  
Squirtle responded with a wide smile. "Squirtle!"  
  
----  
  
By the time we had arrived, night had fallen. The fair looked beautiful. Flashing lights, loud sounds, and the sensation of action surrounded it. I would have run in immediately if Gerald weren't holding my hand. After waiting in line for 4 minutes, we finally made it to the ticket booth.  
  
"Tickets for 6, please." Dad said.  
  
I asked, "What about Squirtle?"  
  
Alex responded with an edge in his voice, "Pokemon aren't considered important enough."  
  
"Quiet, Alex. Son, pokemon go free because the fair owners know that pokemon trainers will get angry if they have to pay for the extra tickets," Dad explained.  
  
"Here are your tickets, enjoy your stay!" the booth worker said. We took the tickets and walked through the main entrance into the fair. The first things that we saw when we entered were 5 charmanders, 5 pikachus, and 5 jigglypuffs dancing. One person in a costume of the respective pokemon was leading each group of pokemon in the routine. I noticed Alex's eyes narrowing with hatred.  
  
"How sickening," He said, clenching one fist.  
  
"Alex, not now," Dad warned.  
  
The groups of pokemon started moving through the crowd of onlookers, causing kids to go crazy with joy. The person in the charmander costume picked up a kid and put her on his/her shoulders, causing the other kids to beg their parents to be picked up by the person. The person in the jigglypuff costume moved through the crowd while hugging kids and rubbing their hair.  
  
Kids became ecstatic, shouting, "Put me on your shoulder!" or "Hug me! Please!"  
  
The person in the pikachu costume walked through the crowd, asking in a cheery voice, "Who's your favorite pokemon?"  
  
"You, Pikachu!" the kids, including Gerald shouted at the top of their lungs. While this happened, the 5 other pokemon continued their dancing routine.  
  
"It's nice to see the kids enjoying themselves," Mom said to Dad with a smile. I tried to identify the people in a pokemon costume's sex, but their voices were so high-pitched, that I couldn't make them out.  
  
The person in the pikachu costume walked over to us, and asked us, "Who's your favorite pokemon?"  
  
"You, Pikachu!" the kids screamed at a deafeningly high pitch, causing me to clamp my hands over my ears.  
  
The person in the pikachu costume looked at Alex, who was becoming angrier by the second. "Awww!! Don't be mad!! Be happy!" he/she said. Alex's eyes burned with total rage. The person in the pikachu costume fell silent for a few seconds, breaking the silence when he/she said, "Hmmm, maybe you should go catch some pokemon here! That should make you happy!" His/her innocent laugh was stopped when Alex punched the person with all of his strength. "Oh shit! My nose! I think he broke my nose! My real nose!" the person in the pikachu costume wailed. The crowd of screaming kids fell completely silent.  
  
"Mommy, did he just say the S word?" A child's voice asked.  
  
----  
  
"Damn it Alex! Why did you do that!?" Dad asked, the anger clear in his voice. Alex looked at the floor in silence. The rest of us watched on as Dad chewed out Alex. We were now outside of the fair security office. After Alex punched the fair worker, we were taken here and interrogated. If it weren't for Dad's quick talking, we would have been thrown out of the park. "You are not going to ruin your brother's birthday! Are you listening to me!?" Dad continued. Alex nodded silently. "I'm going to make sure of that too! You're coming with us!" Dad yelled.  
  
"No, he's going with Matt, David, and Gerald," Mom said. "What? After what he did?" Dad asked. Mom responded, "He is only going to keep you from enjoying the fair. Let him go with Matt and the others." Dad looked down, mumbled curses to himself, and looked up at me with a calm expression. "Matt, if you see him hurt anymore workers, tell me. That's goes for you two also." David, Gerald, and I nodded.  
  
"Come on honey, I think that there's a tunnel of love around here somewhere," Mom said, pulling Dad by the arm into the moving crowd of fair visitors.  
  
----  
  
First, we went to The Fearow, a roller coaster.  
  
"This ride must rock if so many people want to get on," Gerald said.  
  
"The perfect name for a roller coaster," David added.  
  
Alex asked, "How could they take such a creature and make it into a simple amusement park ride?" 30 minutes of waiting in a line later, we were on the ride. My brothers and I went though 10 minutes of corkscrewed, upside-down, stomach wrenching bliss. Fair lights and attractions flew by in blurs as screams echoed through my ears and gravity defying force assaulted my mind and stomach. David, Gerald, and I screamed at the top of our lungs in joy while Alex stifled his voice.  
  
When the ride went into its second slow rise David said, "This is like flying at high speeds!"  
  
I responded, "I wish that I could fly." Flying was another one of my childhood dreams. Soaring through the air, in defiance of gravity. Feeling the wind blow through my hair. It was something that only came to me in my dreams, but something that I wanted in reality also.  
  
Gerald responded, "You would probably fly into a wall." His laughter turned into screams when we shot down again and went into 3 corkscrews.  
  
----  
  
Next was The Psyduck Water Gun Shooting Range. There was a sign on the front of the shooting range, which showed a psyduck's head with a red crosshair on it.  
  
"This should be fun," David said with a grin.  
  
"So now they are supporting shooting pokemon?" Alex asked.  
  
I, who was starting to get sick of Alex's attitude, blurted, "Don't you think that you are examining this way too much?"  
  
Alex hmphed and retorted, "Don't you think you are examining this way too little?"  
  
"Ignore him, Matt," Gerald said, picking up a water gun. "He just doesn't want to have any fun."  
  
Alex snapped at Gerald. "No! I just don't want to have any fun at the expense of pokemon!"  
  
David sighed and said, "Fine, Alex. Do what you want. The 3 of us are going to play this game, whether you like it or not." Gerald, David, and I picked up the water guns, and paid the booth owner. The red, silk curtain lifted on the shooting range . . . revealing real psyducks!!  
  
"Real psyducks?" Gerald, David, and I asked in unison.  
  
The booth owner said in a reassuring tone and with a smile, "Don't worry. It's ok." We looked at each other, then at Alex. He had a look on his face that said, "If you do this, I'll . . ." We looked back at ourselves, shrugged, and began firing. The psyducks didn't know what hit them. 3 by 3, psyducks in the range became soaked. "Remember kids, headshots count for extra!" the booth owner announced with a grin.  
  
"COOL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. David and Gerald followed suit.  
  
David screamed, "EAT THIS!" while Gerald screamed, "YEA!!" I looked at Alex, who had turned away in disgust. After a few minutes of shooting, the curtain finally fell upon the soaked psyducks.  
  
"Congrats! You get this pikachu plush doll!" the booth owner said in a proud voice while handing me the doll. The doll was so big that I had to use both arms to hold it. I would have smiled in triumph, if Alex didn't turn to me and look at me in the eyes. His face was only a few inches from mine.  
  
"Does that make you proud of what you have just done?" Alex asked, with hatred in his voice and disgust in his eyes.  
  
David pushed Alex away from me. "Let me ask you something, Alex. Does it make you feel big to come down on your brother who is 5 years younger than you?" Alex looked at me for a few more seconds with the disgust still in his eyes.  
  
He finally looked away from me, saying, "Lets go to the next attraction at this oh so great fair." I could sense the sarcasm in his voice from a mile away.  
  
"We only have about 30 minutes left before the fair closes for tonight." Gerald said.  
  
----  
  
We had decided to go to The Music Center. When we entered the building, we were instantly greeted by loud rap music. We ventured further into the building to find the source of the booming music. The room that we entered was full of people, dancing to the music. Lights flashed and changed around the room, giving it the perfect mood and appearance for a party. On the stage, among smoke, lasers, and other special effects were a pikachu and raichu. They were lip-synching to a song:  
  
Hey you, I'm Pikachu  
  
So what, I'm Raichu  
  
If you don't like that, well then, F you!  
  
Here comes the electric mouse  
  
Burning down your house  
  
Looking up your fuckin wife's blouse.  
  
The song went on like that. I didn't like the song, but the concept of a pikachu and raichu rapping was cute and obviously profitable. I looked at the two pokemon's eyes and found bags under them. They must have been doing the routine all day. We found Mom and Dad at the bar drinking a shake together. Dad saw us, pointed us out to Mom, and looked at his watch.  
  
"Ok, it's time to go guys," Dad said.  
  
Suddenly, a speaker in the room activated and announced, "Attention. The park will be closing in 5 minutes. Please exit the park."  
  
----  
  
We walked in the crowd of people who were all making their way towards the exit. Fair lights and music deactivated around us, taking the bright life away from the fair and leaving nothing more than structures absorbed in the darkness of the night.  
  
"Hey, hold on," David said. The whole family turned around and watched as David walked into the direction of the men's bathrooms. "I need to go to the bathroom, wait for a sec, okay?" David walked into the bathroom, and we talked among each other to pass time.  
  
"Did you enjoy yourself, Matt?" Dad asked.  
  
"Yes, very much," I responded with a smile. I loved the fair. I would definitely want to ride The Fearow again.  
  
I looked around the area, and saw somebody. I looked at the figure for a while, searching through my memory. Then, it came to me. It was the kid that I battled earlier today! He walked behind the "Catch the Pokemon" building, which was colored in red, black, and white. The color of a pokeball. I had to see if he wanted to fight again.  
  
I ran after him, ignoring my dad when he screamed, "Matt! Where are you going!?"  
  
I barely heard Alex say, "Don't worry, I'll get him." I ran behind the building, to see something that I would remember for the rest of my life. I saw pokemon, the same pokemon that worked at the fair, even the rapping pikachu and raichu. Men with tasers and whips were herding them into cages. One woman loaded a magnum with fresh rounds of bullets. The men were the human fair workers. I even recognized the booth manager from the Psyduck Shooting Range. Absolute shock overtook my body, wiping away all the happy images of the fair, and engraving the horrible scene into my mind.  
  
"I'm back, Dad," the kid said, waving his hand in the direction of the workers. One worker looked at the kid and waved with a smile after locking a bulbasaur in a cage.  
  
"Son, who is that?" the man said, pointing to me. The kid glanced over his shoulder and fully turned around when he saw me.  
  
He asked, "What are you doing here?" I tried to recompose myself, to no avail.  
  
I responded with a shaky voice. "Well . . . .Uh . . . . . I wanted to see if you wanted to battle again."  
  
I heard one of the workers say, "We lost 3 psyducks today. They caught a bad cold from the shooting range and died."  
  
"I told you to not make the water so cold!" another worker replied.  
  
The kid, while placing his foot in front of something, said, "Well, my charmander is at the center now. Maybe later."  
  
"What is that?" I asked, pointing to the thing he was trying to hide with his foot. "Nothing at all." he responded. I pushed him aside to see what it was. It was a red and yellow tail . . . . .a charmander tail . . . . . . . without a flame!  
  
My eyes widened as they continued to gaze at the corpse. Mixed feelings entered my mind as my eyes rested upon the kid. Anger, shock and disgust filled my mind, fighting for supremacy over the other emotions.  
  
"How . . . . . . . could . . . . . .you?" I weakly asked the kid.  
  
"Forget it. Its just a stupid pokemon," the kid responded, folding his arms. I was appalled. How could somebody like this ever have the right to train pokemon? Suddenly, a gunshot pierced the air, followed by a wail of pain. I looked up from the dead charmander's tail to see a dead pikachu on the floor, blood pouring from its shattered head.  
  
"Why did you have to kill it?" a worker asked the worker with the magnum.  
  
"It tried to bite my leg," the woman responded, blowing the smoke from the tip of the gun. I heard somebody say, "Good God!" I turned to see Alex, staring at the horror that I had just seen.  
  
----  
  
The soft music of the car radio played as we drove home. Mom, Dad, David, and Gerald were laughing, talking about the great times that they had at the fair.  
  
"It brought back memories of when we were kids, eh honey?" Dad said.  
  
"Next time we go, I'm forcing you to ride The Fearow!" Gerald said. David replied,  
  
"Oh no Gerald. They'd rather be alone together." David said, poking Gerald in the side with his elbow. Alex and I hadn't said a word since we left the scene behind the building. I silently looked out the window, watching the highway lights go by. I hoped that Alex wouldn't say anything and just let me forget the horror that I had witnessed. It didn't happen.  
  
Alex leaned towards me, and asked, "So, how was seeing reality for the first time?"  
  
  
  
End Chapter 0.1 


	2. Chapter 0.2: Aftershock

  
Chapter 0.2  
  
  
I couldn't get it out of my head, no matter how much I tried. The image of the pokemon being herded into cages and the dead charmander and pikachu were etched into my head. How could it be like this? I didn't know that people could be so cruel . . . uncaring . . .and heartless. Was Alex right? No, he couldn't be. It couldn't be the truth.   
  
My train of thought was halted when the rest of my family noticed the silence of Alex and I. "Matt, what was it that kept you and your brother behind that building for so long?" Mom asked. "Something interesting," I responded. Alex said without a hint of hesitation, "We saw pokemon being forced into cages, a dead charmander and a dead pikachu." Although I was looking towards the floor of the car, I could feel Mom, David and Gerald staring at Alex and me in mute shock. Dad's eyes were still on the road, but I knew that his attention was also locked into the conversation.  
  
Alex looked at me with a smirk. "I wonder what is the worse cage. The ones at the fair, or pokeballs?" Mom saw that Alex was mounting another merciless verbal assault on me and attempted to change the subject. "So how did Squirtle enjoy the fair?" she asked. My eyes widened as she asked me that. The realization hit me over the head. I had never let Squirtle out of its pokeball for the time I was at the fair. I began to feel a dull, aching pain in my stomach. Guilt.   
  
David said, "I don't think that Matt had ever let Squirtle out." Alex took the opportunity to promote his anti-pokemon capturing beliefs again. "Squirtle must have really enjoyed seeing the fair from his ball. So, tell me. How are you going to explain this to Squirtle? Are you going to say that you forgot about it until you saw somebody that you wanted to battle? Are you going to lie and say that the fair was cancelled?"   
  
I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the images of the dead pokemon anymore. I couldn't take what I had done to Squirtle anymore. Most of all, I couldn't take the way that Alex only made me feel worse than try to be a brother and comfort me. Alex, only caring about those pokemon…and not for his own brother! "Shut the hell up!!" I screamed at Alex with all of my strength. "I am sick of you! This is my birthday and you had nothing better to do than make it miserable for me! You can take you anti-pokemon trainer crap and shove it up your ass!"   
  
"Matt! Watch what you say!" Dad screamed in surprise more than anger. I responded, relaxing from the blast of burning anger that I had just released, "He needed to hear it." Alex clenched his fist and began to show his own rage, but David placed a hand on his shoulder, shook his head, and said calmly, "Leave him alone." Alex looked at me for a few more moments, before letting out a sigh and lying back in the backseat, hands behind his head. I looked out the window at the trees going by, appearing from the darkness of night and leaving into it. I knew that this would be a birthday that I would never forget.  
  
----  
  
It was late when we arrived home. We had split up the fast food that we bought on the way home and went to our own rooms. While I walked up the hallway to my room, a familiar picture caught my eye. It was Alex, Gerald, David and I. The picture was taken 2 years ago in Neon Town. I was 8, Gerald 7, David 15, and Alex 13. The family had gone there for Summer Vacation. It was like the fair, but 10 times louder, and brighter. I would look at all the bright, flashing lights while trying to hear my family over the noise of the cars and people. Mostly, we stayed on the slot machines. David did try to play Poker once. It was too bad that he didn't know how to play at all.   
  
I took my attention off of the picture and went into my room. The room had blue wallpaper and a blue carpet. On the walls were posters of the pokemon league and various pokemon. I made my way to the TV, turning it on while making sure not to step on the videogames on the floor. As I heard the soft click of the TV coming to life, I lied down on my bed, which was covered in a blanket that had pokeballs designed onto it. I dug into my bag while I grabbed the TV's remote from the bed and changed the channels. I took the hamburger, pop and fries from the bag while I changed the channel to the Rick Ruben show. They were in the opening jokes. Ruben said, "I present to you, the Peek-at-you Pikachu doll." It went on to show a pikachu doll looking at a woman while she was showering.   
  
The smile that had formed on my face from the joke faded when thoughts of Squirtle entered my mind. I had to make up to it for not showing it the fair. Anything to destroy the guilt that had gripped my heart. I took my pokeball from my belt, and dropped it while saying, "Squirtle, go." The water pokemon emerged from the ball, onto the bed alongside me. I said to Squirtle with sadness and shame in my voice, "I'm sorry Squirtle. I forgot to let you out at the fair." A sad look appeared on Squirtle's cute face. "I'm really sorry . . . . . .I will try to make it up to you." I broke my burger in half, took half of the fries, and gave them to Squirtle.   
  
The two of us sat on the bed, watching Ruben while eating the food. I smiled at Squirtle and asked, "Are you enjoying it?" I received a happy, "Squirt Squirtle," as a response. I laughed joyfully with Squirtle. The joy Squirtle showed made the grip around my heart fade away. Suddenly, a knock came to my door. "Come in," I said. Gerald stepped in. He smiled and said, "Isn't that cute? A boy and his pokemon eating burgers together. Mom wanted me to tell you that your friend, Clark, left a message for you. He wants you to call him tomorrow. He wants you to go with him while he catches some pokemon." Clark Silver. Out of all the people that I've known and befriended, he was the best of them all. His family was nowhere near as rich as mine, but that didn't stop us from being best buddies. I responded, "Thanks for telling me." Before leaving the room, Gerald said, "Night squirt...That's you, Matt."   
  
"Ha . . . . . .Ha. Just remember who is the youngest brother," I retorted as Gerald shut the door. I yawned before rubbing my eyes. I was tired and wanted to get some rest. After eating the last of the food, I picked up my pokeball and aimed it for squirtle, who was patting the stomach side of its shell contently. Just as I was about to put it back in, a thought crossed my mind. Why don't I let Squirtle sleep with me instead of in the ball? "Hey Squirtle, it looks like you're sleeping with me tonight!" I said with a smile. Squirtle immediately slipped under the blanket with a wide smile. I walked over to my closet's mirror and switched into my pajamas as I looked at my self in the mirror, admiring my brown hair. I looked at my blue eyes, which nobody else in my family, at least the family I knew, had.   
  
I had never seen any relatives on Dad's side of the family and tried to ask about it many times. Mom and Dad would just change the subject or send me to my room. Their constant evasion of the subject made me realize that my chances for an answer were slim. I pushed the thoughts out of my head as I climbed into bed, and held Squirtle close to me. Squirtle did his best to return the embrace with his arms, which were apparently small in comparison to mine. I set Squirtle down on his spot under the sheets before I rested my head onto my soft pillow, and allowed the sounds of TV begin to cradle me to sleep. But it wasn't the TV that I heard. Muffled under the sounds of the TV, and through the walls of the house, were Dad and Alex.  
  
"You aren't going to actually let him go? Are you?"   
  
"Yes, he can go if he wants, Alex."   
  
"Dad, you're just making him into another slave owner!"   
  
"Pokemon trainer, Alex. Pokemon trainer."   
  
"It doesn't matter how much you sugarcoat it! You are teaching Matt to capture these creatures and force them to fight! You should be against this!"   
  
"Don't tell me how to run my family!"   
  
"I hate this family!"   
  
"Then leave it! Nobody is stopping you! What are you going to do at the age of 15 anyway?"   
  
"I don't care what I do, as long as I don't have to be around people like you!"   
  
I heard footsteps coming my way, seconds before the door opened. Alex stood in the doorway, eyes locked on me. "Come with me, Matt." "Where?" I asked. "Away from these people. I know that I can make you see the truth," Alex answered. Dad walked to the scene and said to Alex, "Don't drag Matt into this! He is going to be a trainer and you cannot stop him!" Alex, ignoring Dad, asked, "What will it be, Matt?"   
  
I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just leave my family, but I didn't want to lose Alex, despite the hell that he had put me through this night. Alex's eyes pleaded for me to say yes, to give him some kind of support. How could I say no? Then, there was the family. I couldn't turn my back on the rest of my family for one person, despite that fact that he was my brother. It was probably just a small squabble. It would probably be over by tomorrow anyway. Alex would probably be a little angry, but everything would be okay. I knew that I couldn't face Alex or Dad when I answered, so I closed my eyes when I said, "I'm staying here."  
  
Alex's eyes immediately lit up with anger. "Fine Matt! Stay here with them! Become the best pokemon trainer out there! Catch all 150 pokemon! Destroy 150 families! Take 150 animals from nature and into the battlefield! You aren't my brother anymore! I'm not a part of he human race anymore!" I looked to see Alex give me the most hate-filled look that I had seen ever. He stomped away from my room, down the stairs, and to the front door. Dad followed him, trying to talk him out of it. I barely heard Dad say, "Think this over, Alex! This isn't a smart choice!!" Their voices became softer and unclear, until their speech, nothing but soft mumbles to my ears, became halted by the clear sound of a slamming door.  
  
I picked up Squirtle, who was awoken by what had just happened. I held its body close to me while I cried under the blanket of the bed. I felt shattered inside. The words that Alex screamed to me were all that I could think about, and only made my sobbing and wailing louder. I saw Mom and Gerald rush past my room, down the stairs. David followed them, before he stopped to look at me in my state of despair, and hopelessness. He entered my room and sat beside me. "Please don't cry," he said as he hugged me, rubbing the back of my head as I cried into his shoulder. I said with a shaky voice, "Alex is gone David. He is gone." "Don't worry Matt. It will be ok," David said. I said, still crying, "Who do I believe, David? Dad or Alex? Dad says that pokemon training is okay. Alex says that it is bad? Who?" David responded, while still holding me close, "Yourself."   
  
----  
  
Morning came. My eyes opened from the comfort of sleep, to allow the light of the day to shine into them. I sat up to rub my eyes while I thought about anything that was supposed to happen that day. I looked at the phone beside my bed when I remembered that I had to call Clark so I could go with him to catch some pokemon. I picked up the phone and dialed his number. It took 2 rings until I heard Clark ask, "Hello?" I responded in the most cheery voice possible, despite what happened last night. "Hi, Clark. I can go catch the pokemon with you today." "Don't bother," Clark said with sadness in his voice. "We were going to go to the fair to catch some pokemon the easy way, but the fair was broken into last night. All the pokemon were freed."   
  
The fair . . . . . . .Alex. I couldn't tell Clark what I thought, though. "That's too bad. Maybe next time. Bye," I said before I hung up the phone with a soft click. Not five seconds passed before a soft knock came to my door. "Come in," I said. David walked into the room, sat besides me, and rubbed my shoulder. "Are you okay now?" "Yea, I'm fine now. Alex could have rob-" David cut me off. "-We know. It was on the news. All the descriptions matched Alex."   
  
I looked down at the bed sheets. Squirtle was under them, sleeping peacefully. "Maybe if I went with Alex, I could have stopped him," I said as I clenched the bed's blanket. David responded, "Don't blame yourself, Matt. It was his choice. Don't worry, I'll always be here for you," David hugged me. "Remember Matt, I love you."  
  
  
  
End Chapter 0.2   



	3. Chapter 0.3: Healing

  
Chapter 0.3  
  
A week had passed since Alex left, but the guilt that I had felt when he left was still strong in my heart. I couldn't help but think that if I hadn't been so consumed by my desire to be a pokemon trainer, he would still be with us. Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? Why didn't I keep Alex from leaving? Why did it have to happen at all?  
  
I went to Alex's room, in an attempt to remember better moments with him than the last night I had seen him. Everything that crossed my eye brought back a warmer, happier memory. The bed that we had a pillow fight on. The closet that I hid in when we were playing hide and seek. The TV that we played videogames together on. The picture . . . . . . . Wait. The picture was gone!   
  
I looked through the room, searching every inch only to find no picture. The picture was of Alex and I hugging each other at the Cerulean parade. It wasn't long after I began to think of where it had gone when the obvious answer came to me. Alex must have taken it with him on the night that he left. I slowly eased myself onto Alex's bed, letting out a sigh, as my guilt became heaver upon my heart. My gaze lowered to the floor while I let myself become consumed in my thoughts. Where could Alex possibly be? Is he dead? Is he somewhere with the pokemon he freed from the fair? Does he forgive me for not going with him?  
  
"Don't worry about Alex," a familiar voice said. I darted my vision upward, to see David in front of me. "You need to try to move on, Matt. I know that you miss Alex, but being depressed like this won't do a thing." I looked back at the floor, trying to push aside my pain to let David's words sink in. "Dad told me to take you Pokemon catching, since he also thinks that you shouldn't let yourself feel so bad. He said that you should continue doing what you wanted to do, be a Pokemon trainer."   
  
I continued looking at the floor. Maybe Dad and David were right. Maybe I shouldn't let Alex get what he really wants: for me to not catch and train pokemon. I muttered, "I guess you're right." "Of course I am," David replied with a soft smile. "Now come on, let's get some breakfast," he said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I replied, taking my gaze off the floor. "Okay. Let me get Squirtle."  
  
----  
  
I sat at the table while eating bacon and pancakes for breakfast with my family. Squirtle ate poke-pellets on the floor. Mom herself made the food, instead of a maid. Mom was a person who believed in doing things for herself, which was one of the reasons that we never had any maids and butlers to do things for us. It definitely made us stick out, but Mom and Dad didn't care.  
  
I haven't been hungry since Alex left, but I knew that starving myself wasn't the answer. Despite this, it was still hard to concentrate on breakfast when Alex's empty seat was right in front of my eyes. If only there was somebody to take the seat. I looked down to see Squirtle eating its breakfast and got an idea. I looked up to Dad, whose face was hidden behind his newspaper. I asked, "Why can't Squirtle sit with us, Dad? Alex's seat is empty." Dad lowered the newspaper just enough for him too see my face. He replied, "Because pokemon aren't supposed to eat at tables, son." After drinking from his glass of milk, Gerald asked, "Matt, are you going to catch some more pokemon today?" "Well . . . " I started, playing around with my food by using the fork.  
  
Dad gave a sigh, before placing his paper on the table. He put a hand on my shoulder and showed me a soft, comforting expression. "Matt, you need to stop looking at pokemon in a better way than they really are. Pokemon are beasts. They are potential weapons. They are animals. They need to be controlled. They need to be trained. That is what you are going to do, no matter what Alex had to say on the matter," he said.  
  
Before Dad had the chance to pick up his paper, a blast of water threw him from his seat. Dad hit the floor, soaking wet. Everybody's attention went to the source of the water. There, Squirtle stood, the anger clear upon its face. The joy I would have had from Squirtle learning water gun was immediately prevented when I looked at Dad. His face had gone from a look of surprise to one of rage. He stood up from where he sat on the floor, water dripping off his clothes. He took the newspaper in his hand, and rolled it up while walking to Squirtle. He raised the paper in the air as he stood in front of it. Everybody knew what was going to happen. Squirtle looked up at the towering figure that was my father, trying to not show any fear. Just as Dad was about to strike it, he lowered the paper to his sides, causing everybody to wonder why he didn't do it.  
  
Dad turned to me and handed me the paper, but I didn't take it. "Punish it." I didn't know what to do. I looked to David, Gerald, and Mom for some kind of help, but they didn't know what to do either. Dad screamed, "What is there to think about Matt? That creature just attacked your dad! Hit it!" I slowly took the paper from Dad's hand as he folded his arms. I raised the newspaper into the air and looked at Squirtle. It had a look on its face that said, "You understand why I did it, right?" I didn't want to do it. I knew that Squirtle didn't deserve this, but of all people, I couldn't refuse my Dad.   
  
Tears fell down my cheeks as I closed my eyes and swung as hard as possible. An ear piercing cry of, "Squiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrt!" forced my eyes open. Squirtle lied on the ground, a few inches back from where it stood before I knocked it back. It had a look of absolute fear upon its face. The fear was of me.  
  
"Good job, son," Dad calmly said. Dad took the newspaper from hand and eased himself back into his seat. Mom and Gerald silently stared at Dad, speechless over what had just happened. Dad looked at them, almost as if nothing had happened before unrolling the paper and asking, "Now, why don't we finish breakfast?"   
  
----  
  
Why? Why did Dad have to make me hit Squirtle? That was the question that played with my mind as I let myself lie on the couch, trying to let the TV take me out of the increasingly harsh reality that was my own. I closed my eyes, in a small attempt to sleep. Hopefully, I would be whisked away to my dreams, a place where the pain of reality can't exist. I reopened my eyes to look at the TV when I heard the music for the news. I had the hope that the police would report that Alex was found, so my mind could be allowed to relax more.  
  
The reporter that stood on the screen wore a smile on her face, along with a nice looking business suit. Behind the reporter, stood and conversed police officers and military soldiers. I could barely make out letters, "S.C.O.R.S." along with a golden fearow that was positioned below them. "Today marks the official launch of the S.C.O.R.S., the Special Criminal Operations Resistance Squad", the reporter announced with a smile on her face. The reporter stood beside a black haired man that looked like he was in his late forties. His face that of a man who could easily look hard and uncaring. This didn't seem to be apparent, since a smile was worn upon it. He was in a military dress suit, complete with a few medals on it. "We are now interviewing Harold Angel, the commander of the S.C.O.R.S. Any comments, sir?" The reporter held her microphone up to his face as he said proudly, "I am proud to be the leader of this new team. I am sure that with this middle ground between police and military, that we will be able to neutralize the treats of Team Rocket and other criminal organizations."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Angel," the reporter said as she walked to another person. The next person also had a military uniform on, and didn't look like he had the same potential to look hard as Mr. Angel. In effect, that made his smile more noticeable. "We also have here Ronald Doland, the-second-in-command of the S.C.O.R.S. What do you have to say, Mr. Doland?" Doland responded while smiling into the camera and pointing at it, "You better watch out Rocket! We've got your number!" "Enthusiastic words from Mr. Doland," the reporter added.  
  
"David says that he is ready to take you pokemon catching. Go get your squirtle," I heard Gerald say. I sat up and looked to see Gerald looking at me from the stairway. "Yeah . . . . . . . all right," I murmured as I left the couch and walked up the stairs, toward my room. Gerald quickly went to the couch, took the remote and turned on The Brittany Jackson show.   
  
----  
  
As I walked into my room, the first thing I noticed was the darkness that filled it. The light of the sun was trapped behind closed blinds. It took no thought to realize who had shut the blinds in my room. I looked to the bed to see Squirtle for an instant of time. Squirtle quickly leaped away from my grasp, to behind my bed. Squirtle looked at me from its safe spot; I could see the horror Squirtle now had at the sight of me. "Please Squirtle, don't hide. I didn't want to hurt you. Dad made me do it," I said with a hope that Squirtle would believe my words. Squirtle starred at me, as if it was searching for truth in my eyes. I moved forward to grab it, but it quickly jumped from behind the bed and ran to a corner of my room.   
  
"Please . . . . . . . forgive me," I said, slowly walking towards Squirtle as it cowered in front of me. "I'm so sorry." I kneeled down in front of Squirtle, and reached out to it. Moments before I could do so little as touch Squirtle, a pokeball, my pokeball flew over my shoulder and slammed into Squirtle's chest. I watched, stunned as Squirtle was unwillingly sucked into the red and white sphere. "Who?" I asked myself as I stood up and turned around. My eyes rested upon Dad. His eyes were stern as her said, "It's that simple, son. David is waiting for you in the car."  
  
----   
  
The engine of the car and the other cars passing by on the highway were the only sounds heard from David's car. The both of us were on our way to Pallet Town, where I could start catching and training pokemon. I didn't have the will to talk, and David didn't have the will to push me into talking. There was nothing to talk about, except how my brother ran away from home, and how my father forced me to hit my pokemon. Despite this, I could tell that David wanted me to talk, because he kept glancing at me while he drove. I decided to let myself give into David, asking, "David, why did you decide to drive instead of using the limo?" "So I could do this," Was David's reply before he suddenly pulled the car over onto the side of the road.   
  
"What are you doing, David?" I asked. He turned the ignition off and looked at me, a hand still on the wheel. His eyes showed concern as he said, "I'm sorry about what Dad forced you to do today. He was just trying to do what he thought was best for you." "He made me hit Squirtle, David. Now Squirtle is scared of me." David replied, "I know you don't want to hear this. But that is the way it really is. Pokemon aren't considered as equals to people. Pokemon eat poke-pellets on the floor while we eat cuisine at the table. We yell the commands while they do them. We take the credit for being good trainers; they don't take any credit for being the ones that really fight. There are people that truly respect pokemon, but they are too far and few between the majority."   
  
I didn't want to hear this. I wanted to resist that harsh and uncaring reality, but it was impossible. It was almost like Alex had possessed David's body. "You have a choice, Matt. You can turn in your pokeballs now. Or, you could become a trainer, give your pokemon the credit they deserve, let them eat at the table with you, and give the world an example of how pokemon are really supposed to be treated." I slowly looked into David's eyes. A part of me wanted to give it all up now, but I couldn't. "Let's go to pallet. I have pokemon to catch." David smiled as he turned ignition back on.  
  
As we drove on the highway to Pallet, I wondered what made me decide to continue to be a trainer. Was it to prove Alex wrong? Was it to make Dad happy? Or was it because the wonderful and glamorous vision I had of pokemon trainers and the pokemon themselves was still in my mind? I couldn't tell, but there was one thing that was certain. I, Matthew Thomas, was now a pokemon trainer.  
  
End Chapter 0.3  



End file.
